Automatic brake for laundry-washing machines.



c. A WISSEL. AUTOMATIC BRAKE FOR LAUNDRY WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I7, 19M.

Patented Oct. 10,1916.

CONRAD A. WISSEL, DAYTON, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC BRAKE FOR LAUNDRY-WASHING MACHINES.

Application filed July 17, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CONRAD A. tVrssnL, a citizen of the United States,residing-at Dayton, in the county of Campbell and the State of Kentucky,have invented a new and useful Automatic Brake for Laundry- WVashingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic bandclutch braking devices for usein checking or cushioning the momentum or velocity ofreciprocally-rotating barrel clothes-washing machines when they areapproaching the point of reversal in operation, whereby all heavy andwearing shocks and strains on the gearing and reversing apparatus areentirely avoided; and the invention consists in the provision of animpinging lateral flange or ring on the inner face of the adjacentdrive-wheel, which flange is encircled and frictionally-engaged by acircular clutch-band, the spaced opposite ends of which band are securedto the outer free ends of pendent levers that are pivotally mounted inco-acting pairs on the face of the adjacent barrel-head.

The expenditure of power is reduced to a minimum in the use of thestructure herein that is shown in the accompanying sheet of drawings, inwhich,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device showing it mounted on afragmentary portion of the head of a washing-machine barrel and as itappears when at rest; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the intervening,segmental toothed plate used for automatic cushioning or brake action inthe reversemotion of the barrel; Fig. 3, a perspective view showing theinner or rear face of one of the clutch-band actuating or tightening andreleasing levers used in braking the washer-barrel; and Fig. 4, aperspective view showing the spring-controlled pawl seen in Fig. 8, buton a slightly larger scale.

1 indicates a fragmentary portion of one of the end-heads of a barrelwashing-machine 2 a small fragmentary portion of the adjacent drivingspur-gear that is axially-attached to said end-head 1 (not shown herein)3 a ring or circular flange that is provided with inwardly-projectingand perforated lugs 4, through which latter suitable bolts are passedand engaged with the spokes 5- of said driving spur-gear 2 so that thesaid ring 3" shall be properly coupled and travel with said gear and 61aclutch- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oer. 1c, 1916.

Serial No. 852,104.

band encircling the ring 3 but normally free therefrom, as shown in Fig.1, and whose opposite spaced ends 7, 7 are bent or turned upwardly andsuitably orificed for the outer threadedends 8 of the forked levers orconnecting-links 9, the latter being hereinafter properly referred to.The clutch-band 6 is provided with spaced lugs 10 to form amounting-fork that is connected by means of a transverse bolt or rivet11 (shown dotted in Fig. 1) with an orificed bracketarm 12 that haslateral feet 13 to receive screws let whereby said clutch-band is heldin place on the barrel-head 1.

15 indicates a base-plate secured by means of bolts 16 to the face ofthe barrel-head 1 in diametric-alinement with and above the saiddriving-gear 2.

17, 17 are lugs projecting forwardly from the lower opposite corners ofsaid base-plate 15, the purpose of which will be hereinafter referredto.

18 indicates each one of a pair of pendent levers that 'are pivotallymounted at their upper ends on studs 19 that project forwardly from theface of the upper part of the base-plate 15, suitable cotters 20 beingused to secure the levers 18 on said studs but free to swivel thereon.

21 indicates an upward extension from the top of each of the levers 18,between which extensions a spiral spring 22 is stretched,

suitable screws 23 being used to secure the opposite ends of said springin place and the spring acting to draw said upper extensions of thelevers toward each other under tension and to thereby normally throw orspread the lower ends of said levers 18 apart or from each other,coacting teeth 24: and 25 at the arc of contact of the adjacent upperends of said levers 18 being provided so that said levers act in unisonwhen swung in either direction for the purpose of drawing the two endsof the clutch-band 6 toward each other in frictional or embracingrelation with the ring 3 through the medium of the swingingcoupling-links 9, hereinbefore referred to, or in spreading said ends ofthe clutch-band Gapart for releasing said clutch-band frombraking-contact with the said ring 3. The

clutch-band 6 is preferably somewhat resilient so that it is normallydisposed to expand outwardly away from contact with said ring 3, ascustomary in cl'utch bands. The con-- phng-Hnks Qare secured to theoppositeends of said clutch-band by means of nuts 26. These nuts 26enable the proper adjustment of said levers 18 in connection with saidclutch-band for the desired braking-action of the latter.

27 indicates a rotatory segmental disk or plate that is mounted on thebaseplate 15, the latter being provided with a stud 28 that is inaxial-alinement with the gear 2 and, also, in diametric-alinement withthe center of the end-head 1 of the barrel and the meshing-teeth 24 and25 of the levers 18, as best shown in Fig. 1. The segmentalplate 27 ismounted on said stud 28 so as to rotate thereon and is provided withoutwardly-projecting lugs or pins 29, the latter being preferably ofoblong double-convex form for the purpose hereinafter referred to. Thesegmental-plate 27 is also provided with radial teeth or arms 30. Aninwardlydisposed pin or lug 31 (shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1) isprovided on the inner face of the spoke 5 of the gear 2, at a pointlocated at the outer end of said spoke 5 and in position to engage theteeth of the segmental-plate 27 for actuating said plate 27intermittently when the washer-barrel is rotated in either direction andto bring said pins or lugs 29 on the outer face of said plate 27 intoengagement with cam-faced projections 32 provided on the pawls 33, thelatter being pivotally-mounted on pins 31 that project from one endthereof and engage suitable openings or holes made in the lower ends ofsaid levers 18. The pawls 33 are held by means of contracting springs 35under tension against lugs or stops 36 provided on the inner face ofeach of the said levers 18. The stops 36 form rests for the said pawlswhen in normal position and, also, for the contacting-pressure of thepins 29 against the cam-formations 32 on said pawls 33 when saidsegmental -plate 27 is forced to rotate by the contact of pin 31 witheither of the teeth 30 of said segmental-plate 27, during the time offorwardmovement of the washer-barrel in either direction. The swingingof the pawls against the tension of their springs 35 away from the stops36 is provided for the reversemovement of the said segmental-plate 27when the other pin or lug 29 on said plate 27 is in engagement with thecam-formation 32 on the other lever 18 in drawing the two leverstogether at their lower ends for bringing the clutch-band 6 intofrictional engagement with the ring 3 to cushion the rotatingforce ofthe washer-barrel at the close of a forward-movement thereof and readyfor the reverse-movement thereof when the said levers 18 are trippedapart by the release of their cam-formations 32, in turn, from contactwith the pins or lugs 29 on the segmental-plate 27. The lugs 17 at theopposite lower-cornersof the'base-vplatel5 form stops to prevent thelevers 18 spreading apart beyond their proper limit of movement inspreading the opposite ends of the clutchband 6 apart. The spiral spring22 that connects the upper ends of the levers 18 serves to spread thelower ends of the levers 18 apart after each compressing of theclutch-band 6 automatically.

The device is preferably timed in use so that the barrel orclothes-receptacle shall rotate twice before reversing, in order toobtain the best results in washin the clothes. In operation, thedriving-gear 2 is rotated (in the direction of the arrow shown thereon)by the motor and brings the pin 31 on its inner face into contact withthe next adjacent corner of the segmental-plate 27 for the firstrevolution of the clothes-receptacle and then again, on the nextrevolution, into contact with the next succeeding tooth 30 of saidsegmental-plate, the pins or lugs 29 on the back of the lattercontacting with the inner concaved edges of the cam-faced projections 32on the pawls 33 until the tips of the latter are reached and at whichtime the forward-movement of the barrel has been concluded ready for thereverse-movement. The contraction of the springs 35 now serves toimmediately draw the pawls 33 into engagement with the stops 36 so thatthe pins 29 can be in frictional riding-contact with the outer convexededges of the cam-faced projections 32, whereby the levers 18 are drawntoward each other at their lower ends to, in turn, draw the oppositeends of the clutch-band 6 toward each other for the frictionalbraking-action of the said clutch-band on the ring 3 and graduallybringing the barrel to a stop ready for the said reversemovementthereof. On the completion of said forward-movement of the barrel thepins 29 turn the lower ends of the pawls 33 and then ride along theinner concaved edges of the latter whereby said pawls are forced outwardagain against the tension of the springs 35 and the lower ends of saidlevers 18 simultaneously thrown apart by the contracting-action of theupper spring 22 that was held under expansion during the brakingactionof the levers 18 and clutch-band 6.

I claim 2' A cushioning or braking device for reverse-acting rotatory,barrel clothes-washers comprising a clutch-band, a ring or flangeprovided on the driving-gear of the barrel and adapted to befrictionally-engaged by said clutch-band, an inwardly-projecting pin onsaid driving-gear, a base-plate on the barrel-head, a toothed segmentalplate or rotatory disk on said base-plate, a pair of leverspivotally-mounted on said base-plate and connected at their lower endsto the opposite spaced ends of said clutch-band, means at the upper endsof said levers to automatically draw them toward each other so 13 thattheir lower ends shall spread apart after each compressing-action ofsaid clutch-band, toothed means between two contacting-arcs at the upperends of said levers, pins on said segmental plate or disk,spring-controlled pawls on the inner face of the lower ends of saidlevers, and cam-formations on said pawls adapted to be engaged by saidpins on the said segmental-plate whereby the levers are brought togetherat their lower ends to draw the spaced ends of the clutch-band towardeach other for the braking-operation in the reverse-motion of theWasher-barrel and, also, the spreading apart of said leversautomatically to release the braking pressure 15 or contact for the freerotatory-movement of said washer-barrel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inpresence of two witnesses.

CONRAD A. WISSEL. Witnesses Gno. GUOKENBERGER, Jr.,. J. E. LEAVEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C."

